2025 Session Last amended: 1994 session

§ 524.2-109 — Advancements

Plain-Language Summary

Gifts made during a person's lifetime are only counted against an heir's inheritance share if there is a written statement saying the gift was an advance on the inheritance. Without written documentation, lifetime gifts are not deducted from what an heir receives when the person dies without a will.

Practical Notes
When this applies: When a person who died without a will previously gave property or money to an heir during their lifetime. Who this affects: Heirs who received gifts from the deceased person before death. Key points: A gift is only treated as an advance on inheritance if the deceased person wrote that it was an advancement, or the heir acknowledged it in writing. The advanced property is valued at the time the heir received it or at the time of death, whichever came first. If the heir who received the advance dies before the person who made the gift, the advance is not counted against the heir’s descendants.